Tag: USWA

Memphis manager Bert Prentice passes away

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Bert Prentice, best known for his run in the Memphis wrestling territory as a manager, has passed away.

Prentice had been battling cancer. USA Championship Wrestling, which was owned by Prentice, announced his passing on Facebook. 

“It is with a heavy heart that USA Championship Wrestling announces the passing of our leader, our family, & our friend Bert Prentice,” the promotion wrote. “He will be greatly missed by all that knew him, as well as the lives he [touched] over the years [through] wrestling and his philanthropic endeavors for the children. Rest in Peace our dear friend.”

Prentice debuted in the USWA in the early 90s and would eventually come to manage the WWE talent that would come into the territory that would feud with Jerry Lawler. Names like Bret Hart, Owen Hart, and Giant Gonzalez came into the territory and were managed by Prentice during their appearances. He also went on to feud with Jacqueline Moore, who was known as Miss Texas in the USWA.

Prentice also did announcing work as one of the early announcers for NWA-TNA Xplosion. 

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bert Prentice – who was involved in the very early days of TNA and was the host of Xplosion alongside Jeremy Borash,” Impact wrote on Twitter. “We offer our sincere condolences to his friends and family.”

Travis Scott Bowden passes away at 48 years old

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Travis Scott Bowden, who parlayed a lifetime friendship with Brian and Kevin Lawler and a brief managerial role where he played the nephew of legendary football coach Bobby Bowden, passed away yesterday at the age of 48.

A fan from the age of six, Bowden is probably best known for his writing about Memphis wrestling history of the “Kentucky Fried Wrestling” website. As a teenager he was involved in backyard wrestling with Brian (Christopher) and Kevin (Christian) Lawler, Jerry’s sons. One day, while at the TV studio, after Jerry Calhoun was fired, he was rushed, with no experience into refereeing.

From that role, he started playing heel ref which turned into a role as a heel manager. He was actually a well spoken journalism student, and in his first year, had a lot of similarities with Jim Cornette at the same age. He managed Jerry Lawler (after Lawler made a turn to attempt to spark a weakened territory), Eddie Gilbert, Tommy Rich, Doug Gilbert and Bam Bam Bigelow, and did mixed matches with Miss Texas (Jacqueline Moore who later became a WWE star).

He was in and out through 1996 and was remembered by Dwayne Johnson, who started his career in the territory at the end of Bowden’s run, and at times on social media would remember him and insult him.

Bowden left wrestling and worked in advertising in Los Angeles with The Equinox Group. But he remained a part of the wrestling scene with his writing and later podcasting, as well as through social media, with him being one of the experts on the Jarrett Promotions. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the territory and its angles and a great sense of humor that came across in his writing.

DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: USWA 1991 TV review

Posted on by Karl Stern

This week’s retro TV review looks back at the September 21,1991, edition of USWA Wrestling…or, as it should have been called, The Eric Embry Hour.

I found this one on YouTube. It features the Dirty White Boy, Dutch Mantel, Jeff Jarrett, Tom Pritchard, and other southern luminaries as the battle between Texas and Tennessee is starting to heat up. However, Bill Dundee just flat out no-shows.

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